Angelo Que leads match play field at TCC Laguna

The grind of the Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) gives way to the drama of head-to-head duels as the ICTSI The Country Club Match Play Invitational tees off Tuesday at the challenging TCC layout in Laguna.

Headlining the elite 32-player field is Angelo Que, who seeks to punctuate his dominant season with a win in the P2 million season-ending event.

READ: Angelo Que, Mondilla set pace at Valley after 67s – Sports Inquirer

Despite a forced withdrawal from the final leg at Valley Golf due to illness, Que clinched his first-ever Order of Merit (OOM) title on the strength of two victories—at Pradera Verde and Eagle Ridge—and consistent podium finishes, amassing P1.56 million in total earnings.

But match play will pose a different challenge for the veteran. With the unpredictability of a hole-by-hole showdown, match play provides the potential for underdogs to strike, the same way Arnold Villacencio and Albin Engino stunned the field in last year’s tournament, where Villacencio ultimately cruised to a 4&3 victory in the final.

This year, Que opens against 32nd seed Gerald Rosales in a bracket filled with seasoned tacticians and rising threats. No. 2 Keanu Jahns returns from a brief break to face Taewon Ha, while third seed Fidel Concepcion is slated for a compelling duel against crafty veteran Mars Pucay.

Other notable first-round matchups include Guido van der Valk vs. Marvin Dumandan, Rupert Zaragosa vs. Sean Ramos, and recent Valley leg winner Carl Corpus, who makes his match play debut, going up against Tae Soo Kim.

Former Philippine Open champion Clyde Mondilla takes on Elee Bisera, while the rest of the draw features the likes of Tony Lascuña, Mike Bibat, Jhonnel Ababa, and Zanieboy Gialon—all proven names in match play warfare.